April 2009

‘I query the contribution of the movement, in which jerking limbs and groans confuse, even subvert, the issue. The admirable Wolfgang Stange and his Amici ensemble (which uses sufferers from disabilities to make theatrical magic) place such behaviour in a rewarding…

I liked the simplicity of this show: a good, big band; an elegant, schmoozy crooner; two charismatic stars; and all supported by a dynamic dance ensemble. The full house of *Strictly Come Dancing* fans was very … Continue Reading

I regret to say that I found this to be a muddled affair. The reason I’m sorry about being so dismissive is that the five performers were a generally engaging and multi-talented ensemble. They each danced,… Continue Reading

‘That lucid prose is the strongest thing in You Made Me a Monster. Forsythe’s memories are both clear and angry, evoking rage and grief. The audience’s skeleton-building exercise makes you focus on the narrative. How much does the dancing really add?…

‘Musing on what this piece was trying to tell me about being alive, I remembered that Forsythe’s spouse died prematurely in the mid-1990s. And suddenly his Monster coalesced into a visceral meditation on illness, beauty, ugliness and grief.’

English director Stephen Rayne was called in to reshape the effervescent Cuban show Havana Rakatan. “The company are clearly apprehensive at my presence. What can this very pale Englishman do that could po… Continue Reading

I glimpsed a friend leaving after the 7pm performance as I queued for the 8 (there are three consecutive showings each night). “You’ll laugh and laugh”, he said with a gluttonous side order of … Continue Reading

Remarking upon the silliness of ballet stories is much like complaining about the childishness of pantomimes. We are well used to our balletic minds being stretched to accept maidens turning into swans, not to m… Continue Reading

‘The 90-minute piece is predominantly speech-based, although there is a patchwork soundtrack and the final danced scene is thrillingly done. And the timing is brilliant, with the comic coat-tailing the macabre.’

‘Surprisingly, it was the fierce purity of Balanchine’s Serenade – no pretending, no “acting” – that brought out the best in the company, with Natasha Oughtred truly glamorous and sincere in the principal role, the corps of women, svel…